ADHD in Adolescent Girls: What It Looks Like and How To Support Them

This talk will discuss ADHD in girls; the risks for when it goes unrecognized/untreated; research on ADHD; and the connection to EF Skills.
About this Event

ADHD in girls often looks different than it does in boys. This different presentation of ADHD—which is not typically what most people think of when they picture a person with ADHD—has contributed to girls being misdiagnosed or missed altogether resulting in missed opportunities for proper ADHD intervention. This talk will discuss what ADHD looks like in girls; the unique risks for girls when ADHD goes unrecognized and untreated; research on ADHD in the brain; and the connection between ADHD symptoms and executive functioning. Tips to support executive function skills in girls with ADHD will also be discussed.

Audience: Families of Middle and High School teen girls

About the Presenters:
Dr. Julia Schechter, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Duke University School of Medicine. Dr. Schechter completed her master’s and doctorate in clinical psychology at Emory University and her pre-doctoral clinical internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Duke University Medical Center prior to becoming a faculty member at the Duke ADHD Program. As a faculty member, Dr. Schechter conducts research, provides clinical services, and supervises psychology and psychiatry trainees. In 2021, Dr. Schechter helped establish the Duke Center for Girls & Women with ADHD, the nation’s first program housed within an academic institution focused specifically on ADHD in girls and women.
Mayla Gilliam is a second-year Masters of Public Health student with a concentration in Health Behavior. Driven by her commitment to evidence-based, equitable research and care, as well as her personal experience being diagnosed with ADHD, Mayla completed her summer practicum with the Duke Center for Girls & Women with ADHD, where she continues to contribute her efforts.
Dr. Maura Sabatos DeVito, Ph.D. is a developmental psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Duke University School of Medicine Dr. DeVito researches neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly autism and ADHD, in children. As a faculty member in the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Dr. DeVito’s current research is focused on understanding the co-occurrence of autism and ADHD in young children by observing social engagement and self-regulation behaviors during caregiver-child play-based interactions in the lab and in the home. As a faculty associate with the Duke Center for Girls and Women with ADHD, Dr. DeVito coordinates the daily operations of the Center and supports volunteers and students who contribute to the Center’s mission.